“God’s mystery covers all. We see it in the removal of this treasured gem from earth to Heaven, where the bright baby spirit has flown, adding one more jewel to those which Christ says he will gather from his kingdom.”

-Death notice for Thomas J. Higgins, Maysville Bulletin, August 16, 1883, Page 2.

I’ve been spending a lot of time recently reading articles from late 19th and early 20th century editions of the Maysville Bulletin, a newspaper out of Maysville, Kentucky. The names I search for are Clooney, Higgins, and Redmond, hoping to find out more about my great-great grandparents, James and Grace (Redmond) Higgins, and my great-great-great grandparents, Thomas and Margaret (Clooney) Higgins and James and Bridget (Claire) Redmond.

I started searching for these ancestors in anticipation of visiting St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Maysville, where according to Find-a-Grave at least three of them are buried: Thomas Higgins, Margaret Higgins, and James Redmond. This trip happened back in August during our whirlwind historical weekend celebrating Char’s birthday, which also included our visit to the abolitionist John P. Parker's house in Ripley, Ohio.

We tacked our visit to Maysville onto our trip to Ripley because they are only about twenty minutes apart by car. Unfortunately, by the time we made it to Maysville, we didn’t have too much time to spend in the cemetery. We were able to locate family plots for the Clooneys, Higgins, and Redmonds, but we didn’t find gravestones for any of our direct ancestors, although I think this worn stone next to the grave of their daughter could potentially be James Redmond’s burial marker or his wife Bridget’s (it’s unclear when or how she died).

As for my great-great grandparents, James and Grace Higgins, I discovered when I tried to find their graves in Maysville that they’re actually buried in Massillon, Ohio, at a cemetery I visited last summer looking for other relatives. It’s possible my dad pointed them out to me when we were driving around that cemetery (St. Joseph), but I don’t remember seeing them.

In the past few days, though, I’ve learned a lot about James and Grace Higgins’ lives using the combined forces of Find a Grave, Ancestry, and Newspapers.com. I found a wedding announcement published in the Maysville Bulletin in 1881 that lists all the gifts they received for their wedding. They were quite well taken care of by friends and family:

Sadly, I also discovered that their early married life was marked by tragedy, the loss of two children to cholera infantum, a diarrheal disease known to disproportionately affect infants during the summer months in that era.

In 1883, their first born son Thomas Higgins, likely named after James’s father, died of the disease, and his death was listed among the weekly news items in the Maysville Bulletin on August 16th.

In June 1885, the Maysville Bulletin shared the news that James and Grace Higgins had welcomed a daughter.

Only a month later, though, in July 1885, a death announcement ran for Maggie May Higgins, the one year old daughter of James and Grace Higgins, who must have been an older sister to the newborn.

Following the death of Maggie May, the couple would go on to have four more children including my great-grandmother, Anna Lee Higgins, who was born in 1887. In response to questions in the 1900 census about the number of children born and the number of children living, Grace Redmond was recorded as having born seven children with five still living. In the 1910 census, the whole Higgins family, James and Grace and their five children, ages 18-24, are recorded as living together in Massillon, Ohio.

Remembering Maggie May and Thomas a.k.a. Tommie

I’ve searched the St. Patrick’s Cemetery Find a Grave records for Thomas and Maggie May, the children of James and Grace Higgins, but there is no record of them there. The newspaper articles about their deaths also don’t give any indication to where they were buried. If I ever make it back down to Maysville, I’m going to see if St. Patrick’s Cemetery has an infant and child section, which is common in Catholic cemeteries, and search for their graves there. (A few years ago I found the gravestone of my great-grandmother Anna Lee’s son in an infant and child section of a Cincinnati cemetery, but that is a story for another day.)

Until then, I will content myself with the records that I do have thanks to Newspapers.com. In addition to the news item I shared above about Thomas Higgins, his death was mentioned at least three additional times in the Maysville papers. These articles included the news of Thomas’s (a.k.a. Tommie’s) death alongside mourning poetry that spoke to his parents’ grief as well as the solace they could take in a religious belief that they would meet again in heaven:

Char mentioned at the end of her last post that she has a recurring dream about our grandmother that always makes her wonder if she’ll meet her again. I wonder too about seeing our grandmother and also all these other folks who came before us. Will I meet James and Grace Higgins, my great-great grandfather and grandmother? Will they have been reunited with Tommie and Maggie May?

These are the things I read about Hayes that interested me the most:

• He did not allow alcohol in the White House during his administration due to his wife’s support of the temperance movement, which earned her the name “Lemonade Lucy.”

• He was strongly against polygamy of Mormons in U.S. territory.

• He was strict about the separation of church and state.

Hoogenboom wrote in support of Hayes legacy even in light of other historians’ criticisms of Hayes’ withdrawal of troops from the South, which ended the Reconstruction era. I would say that Hoogenboom made a good case for the factors that Hayes was up against at the time, but to me, Hayes seemed to be naively optimistic in his belief that people in the South would be on board with ending their sentiments related to slavery. My personal opinion is that in hindsight it is hard to stomach that optimism in light of the continued terrors that Blacks went through in the South.

The Love of his Life

The part of reading about Hayes that I really did enjoy was learning about him finding his love, Lucy, and their relationship that lasted for so many years. A very sad chapter of their story is when their 17 month old son Joseph Hayes died of an illness while Lucy was visiting Hayes at an encampment during his service in the Civil War. Lucy was overwhelmed with grief when Joseph’s body was taken away to be buried at Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio. Hayes admitted he was less moved because he barely got to know his son due to him being away during the war.

Joseph’s body was buried at Spring Grove cemetery, so I decided to pay him a visit. He has no headstone, but I will share with you some pictures from the area around where he lays at rest.

Rutherford Hayes was also interesting to me in that when he lost his beloved sister he said that he wished he could find comfort in believing that he would see her again, but he doubted this would ever happen. I wonder how his statement would have been received in his era when a Christian belief in the afterlife was pretty standard.

Visiting Joseph’s grave and pondering the belief of Hayes about death this week was well-timed. The day before I visited his grave, Dolly Parton’s death was announced. I was not a close follower of Dolly though she seems like an amazing person. However, we have visited the city of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, often throughout the years where Dolly’s name is seen all over. I assume this was the reason the night before I had a dream about my grandmother who passed away when I was fourteen. It’s a recurring dream that I admit I do not love where I relive her death after I am told that she has actually been alive for several years but has been in a place where I couldn’t see her. The dream always brings up that unanswerable question: will we ever meet again?

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After being arrested the couple sailed back to England aboard the ship SS Megantic of the White Star Line along with Chief Inspector Dew. Ironically on that voyage the bulk of passengers were five-hundred of the Queen’s Own Canadian Regiment who were to march through the streets of Liverpool and then board a train for England. Though some in the crowd who met the Megantic when it arrived in Liverpool were interested in seeing the Canadian regiment and there was a band there to play patriotic music in their honor, the real excitement it seemed was to see the couple accused of murder. The police had to plan how to get the lovers off of the ship in a way that would throw off the crowd. When the crowd finally realized what part of the ship the couple was disembarking from, they stormed to see them.

Of life aboard the Megantic, it was said that the couple were kept apart from the other passengers. They were only allowed to come out on deck early in the morning and late at night for fresh air and were kept in an area below the captain’s quarters with guards. The doctor was said to be healthy although he experienced some seasickness due to a gale during the journey while Le Neve was said to be in good spirits and laughing prior to disembarking the Megantic.1

Once they were back in London, Dr. Crippen was tried and convicted for the murder of his wife. He was sentenced to hang. Ethel La Neve was charged as an accomplice to the murder but was acquitted.

As for the Megantic, it went on to serve in World War I for trooping duties and then spent many additional years in service for civilian, government, and military purposes. She was demolished in 1933.2

If you would like to read a book about this ocean liner story I found one called Story of a Murder: The Wives, The Mistress, and Dr. Crippen by Hallie Rubenhold written in 2025. I also found a movie called Dr. Crippen made in 1963 which has a scene which depicts Dr. Crippen being arrested aboard an ocean liner.

I hope to bring more ocean liner stories to you soon!

The end, then the beginning.

I’m not one to quote song lyrics but this phrase from Semisonic’s “Closing Time” has been rolling through my head over the past week: “…every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”

This past Sunday, David and I (along with the rest of the Amherst College community) bid farewell to Valentine Dining Hall. Since moving to Amherst three years ago, David and I have eaten the majority of our meals at “Val,” as it was and shall forever lovingly be called.

Valentine Dining Hall opened in 1941 and served the campus community for 85 years. Every time I entered the building, I walked past this plaque explaining its origins:

During my own college years, I had a fraught relationship with the dining halls on campus because I didn’t know where I fit in and I was afraid to be seen eating alone. Eating at Val helped me reclaim the dining hall experience. Its tables were where David and I first made connections with so many people here in Amherst.

We met friends at Val who we play weekly trivia with now. Our vacation to Squam Lake this past June was prompted by recommendations from Val friends. I met a fellow family history enthusiast at Val who no longer works at Amherst College but who I continue to keep up with through Substack. This past November, David and I sat with a random set of friends at Val’s pre-Thanksgiving dinner and have since gotten together with the same group for a “Thanksgiving reunion” viewing of The Odyssey. The list goes on and on…

As someone on the fringes of the Amherst College community (the spouse of a faculty member), eating at Val gave me such a sense of belonging. I was always excited to go there wondering who I might run into. The staff were incredibly kind to me and made me feel welcome. I loved Cheers as a kid, and I think Val is the closest I’ve come to having my own Cheers.

I thought I would cry at the last meal at Val, but I didn’t. (There was a crying baby there who was kind of stealing my emotional thunder.) I did however shed a few tears later at home when I watched this video:

I also teared up when I walked through Valentine Hall on my way to my first meal in the new dining hall and saw the equivalent to The Fresh Prince of Bel Air darkened living room:

Credits roll.

Next episode begins.

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This story was printed in the Buffalo Post of Buffalo, New York, on July 14, 1910:

Police Watching The Ocean Liners—American Actress Supposed to Have Been Murdered in London and Husband is Wanted—Body Found In A Cellar. London, July 14.—Scotland Yard is engaged with the murder of an American woman and today it cabled the police of the United States requesting the arrest of the woman’s husband, Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen, also an American, who is believed to have sailed for New York on Saturday last.

The case is strikingly similar to that of the Charlton murder at Lake Como, Italy. Both women were American heiresses who left their homes to meet death in a foreign land, and in each instance the police pursued the American husband to the shores of his native land. Porter Charlton was arrested in New Jersey but in the absence of an extradition treaty, between the United States and Italy specifically providing for the return to either country of a citizen of the other country who has committed a crime abroad, he may go free.1

To give a bit more context to the story, Dr. Crippen was a doctor of alternative medicine practicing in New York. His wife was a singer and actress named Corrine “Cora” Turner aka Belle Elmore. The couple had moved to London in 1897. Both were working in their respective fields, and both ended up having an affair. Dr. Crippen hired a young typist named Ethel Le Neve who became his mistress in 1908. His wife, Cora, went missing on the evening of January 31, 1910.

After being questioned by police and let go, Dr. Crippen and Le Neve fled to Antwerp. Police discovered the torso of Cora under the brick floor of the basement of her home with Dr. Crippen. It was determined that the toxic compound scopolamine was in her system.2

After reading the article above that I found for my ocean liner story of the day, I became curious…what ocean liner did Dr. Crippen and Le Neve end up being discovered on and what did their discovery look like? I sought out more news articles.

How they were discovered

The man investigating the case, Inspector Drew, was alerted in a wireless telegram by Captain Henry George Kendall of the Montrose of his suspicion that the couple was aboard the ship:

“Have strong suspicions that Crippen London cellar murderer and accomplice are among saloon passengers. Mustache taken off growing beard. Accomplice dressed as boy. Manner and build undoubtedly a girl.”

Inspector Drew then sailed ahead of the Montrose on the White Star Liner S.S. Laurentic and boarded the ship disguised as a pilot.

On August 5, 1910 the Bradford Weekly Telegraph of Bradford, England reported:

The amazing drama of the Montrose reached its denouement on Sunday, after a pause which has lasted nearly three weeks.

Dr. Crippen and Miss Le Neve were arrested on board the Canadian Pacific Company’s liner Montrose at nine o’cock (Canadian time) on Sunday morning.

Wearing the uniform of a pilot, Inspector Drew, accompanied by four officers of the Canadian police, boarded the liner about two miles from Father Point.

Crippen was walking on deck. The inspector approached him from behind, and touched him on the shoulder.

Crippen turned round sharply, and there was a mutual recognition between him and the inspector.

“There’s your man!” said Inspector Drew to one of the Canadian officers, and Crippen accompanied his captors to a cabin, where he was formally arrested.

It is reported that both Crippen and Le Neve attempted to commit suicide.

“I am rather glad the anxiety is over” appears to have been the only remark he made.

The inspector then went to Miss Le Neve’s cabin. She was reading a book, and on looking up at her visitors immediately guessed what their purpose was.

She is said to have uttered a piercing scream, then grew suddenly calm, and submitted to arrest. Subsequently she collapsed completely.3

Next week I will write about Dr. Crippen and Le Neve’s return voyage to London and the subsequent trial and outcome of the case.

Lebanon’s Pioneer Cemetery is a combination of two graveyards established in the early 1800s for the town’s Baptist and Methodist churches respectively. The majority of burials in these graveyards took place in the first half of the 19th century before the nearby Lebanon Cemetery was established in 1850 and became a more popular burial site.1

What struck me walking the grounds of the Pioneer Cemetery was the number of monuments that included weeping willow imagery like the stone pictured below:

I’ve written about the symbolism behind weeping willows before when I shared photos from Charter Street Cemetery in Salem, Massachusetts. Weeping willows evoke grief and sadness, but they also represent immortality and resurrection because of the willow’s ability to withstand damage to its limbs and regrow.

Below are some of the weeping willows I found on graves in Lebanon’s Pioneer Cemetery. These engravings also include other common funerary symbols like urns, coffins, and lambs

Who carved these stones?

Seeing so many weeping willows at the cemetery, my first thought was that whoever the local stone carver was at the time must have specialized in the design. As you can see from the photos above, though, the willows are depicted in a variety of styles suggesting different artisans. Indeed, by zooming in on my photos I was able to identify three stone carvers whose signatures appear on willow gravestones at Pioneer Cemetery.

N. Turner, Lebanon, Ohio

Two of the graves include the signature, “N. Turner, Leb O.” I’m assuming this means that the artist was from Lebanon, Ohio, but my cursory search of Ancestry and Find a Grave didn’t reveal anyone with the name N. Turner in Lebanon during this period.

A. Potter

Thanks to our fellow Substacker, David Shaw, I did find a wealth of information about another stone carver, A. Potter, whose signature I identified on this willow grave:

Shaw has written a detailed account about A. Potter, or Aaron Potter, on his Substack Serengenity. According to Shaw, Aaron Potter learned the trade of stone carving in Cincinnati before moving to Hamilton, Ohio, and establishing his own business. Both Cincinnati and Hamilton are near Lebanon.

Serengenity

Aaron Potter, stone cutter

The road trip…

Read more

2 years ago · 13 likes · 10 comments · David Shaw

Based on Shaw’s tips for identifying Potter’s work that he shared in his post, I think it’s likely that there are other examples of Potter stones in the Pioneer Cemetery (lots of 2’s that look like swans!).

Ingersoll

In his post about Potter, Shaw mentions briefly that the stone carver’s mentor might have been William Ingersoll from Cincinnati. I found a couple of gravestones in Pioneer Cemetery signed by Ingersoll including this one that features a weeping willow:

Preservation love needed

Pioneer Cemetery in Lebanon is a rich resource when it comes to early 19th century gravestone design, but such is the case at cemeteries, these resources are vulnerable to the threats of weather, vandalism, and neglect. The cemetery is maintained by Lebanon’s Public Works Department. On our visit, we found the grounds neatly mowed but felt some of the monuments could benefit from skilled preservation efforts. One of the most touching weeping willow images I found was on a gravestone that’s been broken and is currently lying flat on the ground, slowly sinking into the earth where it could be lost and forgotten.

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My goal in sharing today is not to give so much factual information, mainly because due to our busy weekend I do not have enough time to delve as deeply into it as I would like to. I just want to share a bit about what the experience meant for me.

I expected that we would go into the place, tour a bit and leave. However when we went in, an older man named Dewey asked us to sit down and said that he “wanted to talk about history.” He proceeded to tell us in great detail the story of John P. Parker, a man who bought his own freedom from slavery and went on to become an Underground Railroad conductor and extractor. Parker was the owner for many years of the house we were visiting.

I was truly amazed by Dewey’s memory and his energy. I’d say the last time I remember having a person make eye contact the way he did and share so much from memory was probably my professors in college. He knew so much, and he also wrote a book that provides a road map to the Underground Railroad sites in Ripley, Ohio, and provides detailed information on each. Of course, I have a copy, and of course, I plan to return!

I think Dewey was the highlight of my birthday weekend. Going into a new decade where I feel I have the different areas of my life figured out, I want to focus on learning and sharing about local history. His energy and dedication show the importance of individuals taking time to learn about the people and the places around us. I also feel inspired by the community we have created here at The Silent Sod, and I want to thank all of you for your time each week to read our stories. More to come!

The last few times I’ve visited New York City, it has been during the winter months, and it was nice to visit this time during a blooming season.

I loved how the Conservatory Garden provided an escape from the city yet its presence was imposing in the background.

Central Park is bursting with history, and the Conservatory Garden is no exception. I exited the park through the Vanderbilt Gate, a structure originally built for Cornelius Vanderbilt II’s Fifth Avenue home, which was demolished in 1926.

Flowers, history, and my trip through Central Park was bookended by two discounted museum visits: the pay-what-you-wish afternoon at The Frick Collection and the free Wednesday admission to the Museum of the City of New York. I couldn’t have asked for a better evening.

Ellen Wilkes was 47 at the time of her sailing on the Titanic. She was a third class passenger, and she was traveling from her homeland of Cornwall, England, to Akron, Ohio, with family. Their group was joining another family member who had emigrated to America before them.

I have an account of her experience aboard the ship that also gives some insight into life around World War II. She was interviewed around the anniversary of the sinking by The Akron Beacon Journal in April of 1941. Here are some excerpts from her account:

Recalling the Wreck with the Ice Berg

“It was near midnight on April 14, 1912 that the big vessel struck a submerged iceberg. It was a sensation something like the sudden stopping of a speeding train. There was a shock—and the big vessel seemed to shudder. I was in my stateroom at the time partially dressed. I finished dressing, wrapped a blanket around my shoulders and made my way to the upper deck.”

Experience on the Deck

“One junior officer told me to return to my stateroom—that everything would be alright. But somehow all of us realized that something serious had happened. There were many tearful leave takings between husbands and wives. Orders were for women and children first in the lifeboats. I put on a life-preserver and made my way to the rail. One of the lifeboats was ready to pull away when a man at the oars called out: ‘Room for one more.’ I jumped into the boat and we drew away into the gloom. “

Experience on the Lifeboat

“In the confusion I became separated from my sister and her children. I didn’t know until I was taken aboard the S.S. Carpathia several hours later, that she and two of her children had been saved. It’s strange what a person will do under such circumstances. I kept thinking all the time about what a beautiful night it was—and what a shame that such a tragedy had to occur on such a fine night.”

“The moon was brilliant—and the stars shone like electric bulbs in the sky. The water was as calm as a millpond. There were 25 persons in the lifeboat in which I was rescued.”

Account of the Sinking

“We had pulled some distance from the sinking vessel and I saw it make its final plunge. It seemed to raise up on one end—then plunge downward below the water. It disappeared like a bucket going into a well.”

Experience of the Carpathia and the Aftermath

“Four or five hours later we saw what appeared to be a headlight in the distance. It proved to be the Carpathia. All the lifeboats in the vicinity made their way to the rescue ship.

“One of the faces peering down at me from the rail of the Carpathia was that of my sister, Mrs. Hockings. We had a tearful reunion aboard the ship. We were given warm food and drink—and wrapped in warm clothing.

“I wouldn’t want to go through another scene like the one when the Carpathia reached dock in New York. But I can’t help living over again the horrible events of that April night, just 29 years ago, when the Titanic went to the bottom.”

Life and correspondence prior to World War II

Ellen provided that account on April 4, 1941, to newspaper writer H.B. “Doc” Kerr. At the time the United States was just a few months away from entering into World War II and the war was already in effect where her sisters lived in Cornwall. Ellen lived with her disabled son who was noted to be a Canadian World War I veteran. The two had very little money to live off of, as half of their income went to paying rent.

On corresponding with her 92 and 80 year old sisters who lived in Cornwall, Ellen said:

“I hear from them occasionally, but they won’t write much about the war. Sometimes I find their letters censored. Sentences or parts of sentences will be clipped out.”

Conclusion

The beauty of the night of the sinking that Ellen describes matches with so many other accounts of Titanic passengers. One fact that I will note about that night that does not match Ellen’s account is that the moon is said to not have been visible that night. I found a good article explaining why that was the case. However, all other accounts I have come across agree that the stars were indeed magnificent.

I recently published a short book with the support of my friend George Behe that shares compiled accounts of male American born passengers aboard the Titanic. It is a first step that I hope to build on in the future when I have more time available to research outside of my work schedule. If you would be interested in reading it here is the link to purchase.

Thanks for reading Ellen’s account of the Titanic, I hope to bring many more accounts of third class to The Silent Sod in the future.

Sources:

Encyclopedia Titanica (2015) Ellen Wilkes (ref: #1302, last updated: 7th August 2015, accessed 29th July 2026 17:48:36 PM) URL : https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/ellen-wilkes.html

“Around the Town: Mrs. Ellen Wilkes Recalls 1912 Sea Tragedy Tells Of Rescue From Luxury Liner, Titanic With H. B. “Doc” Kerr, The Akron Beacon Journal, April 4, 1941, page 35.

As his gravestone indicates, Perry served as the comptroller for the cemetery “for nearly forty years, and until his death.” Green-Wood Cemetery was founded in 1838 and Perry died in 1881. His obituary, which appeared in the New York Herald on August 27, 1881, described him as “practically the founder of Greenwood Cemetery.” The engraving on the back of Perry’s monument also speaks to his legacy:

“To Mr. Perry’s untiring energy, sound judgement and personal care, the proprietors of The Green-Wood Cemetery are chiefly indebted for the development of this sacred city of the dead.”

In life, Joseph Alfred Perry devoted himself to the success of the cemetery, and in death, he continues to hold sentinel over the cemetery’s gates. Can you imagine all the things he’s witnessed from his vantage point including this particularly enthusiastic Green-Wood visitor?

I can’t help but compare any cemetery I visit to Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta where I trained as a cemetery tour guide. Joseph Alfred Perry’s position near the main gate at Green-Wood reminds me of Oakland resident Jasper Newton Smith, who sits atop his mausoleum near main entrance of Oakland watching the comings and goings.

I’m not sure how much Jasper Newton Smith and Joseph Alfred Perry would have had in common. In his obituary, Perry was noted to be “always clean shaven and dressed in a black cloth, with a standing collar and a black silk necktie.” Smith, on the other hand, had a notorious dislike for neckties. You’ll notice in his statue he’s not depicted as wearing one.

Jasper Newton Smith was highly involved in the design of his mausoleum. I wonder if Joseph Alfred Smith had any idea about how he would be honored after his death. Did he choose the Bible verse from Revelations that appears on his monument or was it chosen for him?

“Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, and their works do follow them.” Rev. XIV. 18.

Perry’s work has certainly endured at Green-Wood.

“Roosevelt At Sea--On Board Steamer Kaiserin Victoria, Friday, June 10—(Via Wireless.)—Former President Theodore Roosevelt spent the day resting after Thursday’s strenuous walk with Sir Edward Grey. Coming aboard the steamer at Southampton, he inspected all parts of the great ship in company with Julius P. Meyer, assistant general manager of the steamship line. Afterward he talked with many of the passengers. He dined early this afternoon and retired shortly afterward for the night.”

It is no surprise that Roosevelt’s company was sought after by many on the ship and that many made travel plans to be on the same ship as him. Roosevelt seemed to enjoy the company of a dog named Bongo while aboard the ship. Bongo had been given to his youngest daughter Ethel Roosevelt in London prior to the family’s return to America. It was noted that Roosevelt and Bongo had “many a friendly frolic on deck during trip.”1

During his time at sea, Roosevelt was noted to work on writing and answering a large number of letters. He appeared approachable to other passengers and talked with many throughout his trip. On matters of politics he was noncommittal.

The Roosevelts were reported to stay in a suite that contained several bedrooms and bathrooms, a drawing-room, and a private dining-room in case they preferred not to leave their room for meals. The ship also had a gymnasium, which it was noted that Roosevelt would make good use of everyday. It was “equipped with all manner of apparatus for physical exercise.”2

According to an article written around the time of the Kaiser Augusta Victoria’s maiden voyage, the ship’s gymnasium had many kinds of “cleverly devised apparatus for imitating riding, bicycling, etc.”3

There was great enthusiasm for Roosevelt’s return to America. He really seemed to soak up the high energy of the ocean liner voyage. I think my favorite part to read about his voyage was that he was so enthused about spending time with Bongo, the dog his daughter received on the trip.

I hope you enjoyed this ocean liner story, and I hope to share more each month.

Strolling around a dark cemetery is magical, but opportunities to do so are rare since cemeteries usually close before night falls for safety reasons. Evening guided tours provide an opportunity to see a cemetery as few do. The tour I took at Green-Wood included an additional element, access to the catacombs, which are typically closed to the public except for special events like their concert series. Apparently the space has excellent acoustics.

Before darkness fell on my tour, I found my camera drawn to the many angel figures that dot Green-Wood’s landscape.

Post nightfall, I tried to capture whatever drew my eye. I was surprised how much my phone camera was able to distinguish in the darkness. The sky was much darker than it appears in these photos.

Have you done any nighttime cemetery tours? I’d love to hear about your experiences.

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I also found there was a Cincinnati hotel by the name of the Spencer House that catered more so to the Southern element of America at the same time the Burnet House was operating. I was excited to learn that one of the visitors to this hotel was President Andrew Johnson, so there should be more to tell about his stay.

I decided that it would be great to focus on both of these hotels together, and I hope you will enjoy following along as I share lots of stories about them. For today’s post, I will start by highlighting the dining menus from the openings of both hotels.

The Burnet House Opening Menu

The Burnet House opened in May 3, 1850. The Buffalo Daily Republic printed the menu from its opening event on May 7, 1850:

Bill of Fare—Oysters, Raw Oysters, Pickled Oysters, Stewerd Oysters.

Cold Relieves—Gelatine of Turkey, with Truffles and Jelly. Fish in Mayonaise, ornamented. Larded Fillets of Beef. Pie of Game, with Truffles. Boiled Ham, with Champagne Jelley, Boiled Buffalo Tongue, decorated. Beef a la mode, with Jelly. Roast Lamb. Roast Turkeys. Roast Chickens.

Cold Side Dishes—Aspic of Oysters, decorated. Bread of Chickens’ Liver, with Truffles. Stuffed Quails, decorated. Chaux-Froid of Venison, with Jelly. Veal Cutlets, ornamented, Chicken Salads, Chuax-Froid of Fillet of Chicken. Fric and eau of Veal, with Jelly. Sweetbreads, spiked with Truffles. Aspic of Calf’s Brains, decorated. Lobsters.

Pastry Pyramids—Pastry, Maraschino Jelly. Charlotte Russe. Champagne Jelly. Swiss Meringues. Surprise of Oranges. Madeira Jelly. French Cream Cakes. Vienna Pudding, Wine Sauce. Apples, with Rice, Parisian style. Basket of Oranges.

Confectionary—Mottoes, Lady Fingers, Vanilla Biscuit, Cream Cakes, Almond Cakes, Almond Macaroons, Kisses, Rock Cakes, Broiled Almonds, Iced Puffs.

Dessert—Peaches, Pears, Pine Apples, Grapes and fruits of all kinds.

Spencer Hotel Opening Dessert Menu

The Louisville Daily Courier printed the dessert menu from the opening of the Spencer House in an article dated December 22, 1853:

Dessert.
Jely au Rhum, Macaron, Carlotte Russe decore, Champignon a la Vanille, Lemon Ice Cream, Gateau Glace a la Vanille, Blanc Mange a la Mande, Gateau Glace au Choco’ati, Meringue a la flour d’ Orange, Vanilla Ice Cream, Jelly au de Champagne, Croquet, Choux a la Cream, Lady’s Fingers.

Fruit.
Oranges, Chinois, Almonds, Pine Apples, Malaga Grapes, Olives, Filberis, Brandy Fruits, Raisins, Candied Orange Peal.

What menu item would you want to try out?

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At the Golden Lamb there have been many stories of supernatural activity due to the amount of traffic at this historic location. I hope I can find some supernatural elements in looking at these two other hotels that served important people in a tumultuous era. Neither The Burnet House nor Spencer House stands today.

One thing on my itinerary that I’m super excited about is taking a tour of The Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, which has the distinction of being a National Historic Landmark.

I visited Green-Wood once before in January 2023, and on that cold winter day, I spent over three hours wandering the 478 acre grounds. I probably would have stayed longer, but my phone battery was dwindling after taking hundreds of photos and I still had to navigate back to Manhattan. Here is just a slice of what I saw last time I was at Green-Wood:

I’ll be sure to share photos from my upcoming tour in a future post!

From The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk, Virginia dated June 20, 1909:

New Ocean Liner to Arrive in N.Y. Today—She Is The George Washington of North German-Lloyd Co.,—Bronze Tablet To Washington Is To Be Unveiled

“New York, June 19—The steamship George Washington, named in honor of the first President of the United States, and the largest German trans-Atlantic liner afloat, arrives in New York today.

“The George Washington is the latest addition to the fleet of the North German Lloyd and extraordinary efforts have been made by the company to make the new steamship in every way worthy of its great name. In striving to carry out this plan one of the greatest decorative artists of Germany made a special trip to the United States for the sole purpose of studying Washingtoniana, that the magnificent pictures which adorn the great assembly rooms of the steamer might be authentic in keeping with the name and game of General Washington.

“The American Ambassador to Germany, Dr. David Jayne Hill, christened the George Washington, and with his secretaries was on board at the successful trial trip a few days ago, when the George Washington, made an average speed of 20 knots per hour over a measured course. At the time of the launching President Roosevelt and H.M., the Emperor of Germany, felicitated the North German Lloyd on the building of the great ship and each expressed the hope that the great ship would have a long and prosperous career in uniting two friendly people.

“On Wednesday, June 23, the Daughters of the American Revolution of the New York State Chapter, headed by the Honorary State Regent, Mrs. William Cumming Story, and the State Vice-Regent, Mrs. Samuel Lyman Munson, will unveil a bronze memorial tablet erected in honor of President Washington on the steamer. They have invited many of the patriotic societies of the city and State to participate in the ceremonies, and Dr. Woodrow Wilson, president of Princeton, and Bishop Greer are expected to make addresses.

“The George Washington will remain in port until July 1, when she starts on her maiden trip from New York for Plymouth, Cherbourg and Bremen. Five or six days will be given over to the public to inspect this new giant of the ocean. Cards of admission may be obtained of Messrs. Oelrichs & Co., the general agents of the North German Lloyd, at No. 5 Broadway.”

Images of the George Washington

I wanted to see if I could find any pictures of this ship because it sounded like it would be a very interesting. I was able to locate a picture of the bronze memorial tablet that was created for the ship as well as a picture of the woman referred to as Mrs. William Cummins Story, whose name was Daisy Allen Story, who served as President General of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Strangely, I learned that she was later charged with grand larceny, petit larceny, and conspiracy for using funds designated for comfort kits for U.S. soldiers to pay a solicitor from which she and hers sons received a profit. Not cool, Daisy Allen Story!1

A child’s playroom

One of my favorite things I have learned about ocean liners so far is that some of them had children’s playrooms. I was delighted to find images of the playroom on the George Washington because I have not seen many of these rooms pictured. I cannot say for certain, but to me, the images on the wall of the playroom look like the ones referenced in the article, American colonial images that honor of George Washington.

The Hatchet

Another cool fact I learned about the George Washington, which served as a U.S. warship for both World Wars, is that during World War I a newspaper was published aboard the ship called The Hatchet, a name that made reference to the hatchet used by George Washington to cut cherry trees. It was meant as a stress reliever for the troops aboard the ship.2

You can see the published articles of The Hatchet at this link.

Conclusion

I really enjoyed looking into this article. It was neat to read how American presidents were involved in the story of this ship, to learn about a ship that allowed for unity between two countries (at least for some time), and to understand the story of a unique ship that operated over many years. I will share another tale of a president related story on an ocean liner later this month. I would have loved to have seen the artwork aboard this ship, how about you?

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Thinking about Grant’s legacy inside his massive and mostly empty mausoleum prompted a lot of questions for me about historical memory and how we keep the living invested in places meant to honor the dead. This visit was critical to how I would come to understand what I wanted to do with this Substack, and yet, I’ve only written about my visit to this site briefly as part of my 2024 highlight reel. Today, that changes!

My first impression inside Grant’s tomb was that the design must have been inspired by Napoleon’s tomb in Paris because both sites feature giant sarcophagi inside a domed building with a balcony that allows you to view the sarcophagi from above. Grant’s tomb differs from Napoleon’s in that there are two sarcophagi instead of one. Grant is entombed next to his wife, Julia:

One can access the crypt where Grant and his wife are entombed via a staircase. Encircling their sarcophagi are statues depicting five of Grant’s generals from the Civil War. Between the dim lighting and the generals’ stern features, the statues gave off an eerie vibe. I wanted them to be animatronic so they could regale me with tales of Grant’s war days.

Weirdly, the mausoleum doesn’t include any statues depicting Grant. Consulting the NPS website, it looks like there was supposed to be more statuary outside the monument, including one of Grant on his horse, Cincinnati(!), but the committee constructing the memorial didn’t raise enough funds.

Grant is, however, depicted in multiple mosaics in the mausoleum that highlight events from his military career, including when he accepted Robert E. Lee’s surrender at the end of the Civil War.

Grant is also depicted in a more modern mosaic outside of the mausoleum as part of the 400 foot Mosaic Rolling Bench created by artist Pedro Silva between 1972 and 1974:

Who’s buried in Grant’s Tomb?

This longstanding joke, popularized by Groucho Marx on his show You Bet Your Life, has created some confusion. Grant and his wife, Julia, are entombed in their sarcophagi but not technically buried. Apparently, this was an “easy” question that Marx would offer contestants who were doing poorly on his quiz show, and he accepted the answers Ulysses S. Grant, Julia Grant, or no one.

After reading about the tumultuous presidency of Andrew Johnson, it was time to move onto the next American president, Ulysses S. Grant. I came across an amazing book called The Annotated Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant written by Ulysses S. Grant and edited by Elizabeth D. Samet. Samet provided so many great pictures and tidbits to go along with Grant’s writing. Samet’s passion for Grant seeps through the pages. It is a long book, but I would highly suggest it to anyone wanting to learn more about Grant and the Civil War.

I have to say, Grant has reached my top five favorite presidents to read about. Here is where they all stand right now and why:

1. George Washington-Though I acknowledge that Washington had his flaws, given the time that he existed in and his role in the institution of slavery and unjust treatment of Native Americans, I could appreciate the efforts he made to ensure that the office of the presidency was not made into a position with greater power than what it was intended to be (e.g. king, dictator), a sentiment that I truly hope the office of the presidency can return to. A book that I would highly recommend is Never Caught: The Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge by Erica Armstrong Dunbar, one of the first books that I read that made me interested to learn more about this piece of American history.

2. Abraham Lincoln-I enjoyed reading about his leadership during the Civil War, and similar to Washington, I appreciated his humility while serving in such a revered position, especially during the significant time that he was in power.

3. John Quincy Adams-I don’t necessarily think John Q. Adams did anything extraordinary as president, but I valued reading his writings that spanned his young experiences with his father in Europe during Revolutionary times up to his old age when he was witnessing some of the dynamics that would lead to the Civil War during his time in Congress after his presidency. And honestly, he made me laugh with some of his critiques of others.

4. Ulysses S. Grant-I appreciated reading about his humble beginnings, the great responsibility he had in his military life during the Civil War, and his leadership during his time as president when the early Ku Klux Klan began to impact the country. I read a supplemental book called Klan War: Ulysses S. Grant and the Battle to Save Reconstruction by Fergus M. Bordewich. It was horrifying but such an important read to understand where things went wrong after the Civil War and how Grant tried to fix it.

5. James Madison-I found the story of Madison intriguing to read about because I realized he was the brains behind a lot of what happened in the early formation of the United States even though he is not as widely known as some of the other Founding Fathers like George Washington. I really enjoyed the reminiscences about Madison written by Paul Jennings, a man who was enslaved by Madison who ensured his own freedom and went on to work as a government clerk at the Department of Interior.

One of the common reasons that I am drawn to the presidents I have most enjoyed reading about so far is their humility. Grant truly embodied this characteristic. He never seemed to have a strong belief that he was the person that should be in the important roles that he played. He just rose to the occasion because he wanted the best for his country.

Speaking of his humility, I was able to take a visit with my Aunt Liz to his birthplace which is not too far from where we live. My favorite thing to learn about this simple house was that it became a shrine for Americans after the Civil War to celebrate Grant’s legacy. Here are some pictures I took from my visit to share with you.

This month is going to be American president heavy with what I have planned to write about. I hope you will enjoy reading about them! I really enjoyed reading about Grant and going to visit his birthplace.

I’ve given my women’s history tour five times now, and the most recent iteration was for a group of folks in town for a choral program. Given their interest in music, I wanted to try to find some connections with the women I would highlight on the tour. I had a feeling one woman, Mary Stearns, might have had some involvement with music so I asked NotebookLM, “Do we know anything about Mary Stearns and music?”

What’s cool about NotebookLM is that you give it the sources you want it to use to answer to your questions. It cites these sources in its answers, and then you can verify them by looking directly at the sources. I have found it hallucinates sometimes so the double checking is important. One of my sources for the women’s history tour is a biography of Mary Stearns by Millicent Todd that was published in 1909.1 The text is freely available through Google Books.

In response to my simple question, NotebookLM was able to summarize information from her biography to illustrate Mary Stearns’ “lifelong connection to music.” For instance, she and her husband attended singing school together in their youth. While living abroad in Bombay, she performed in a concert and subsequently became known as the “American Nightingale.” In her later years, after her husband had passed away, Mary Stearns ran a school for girls in Amherst where music and singing were an integral part of the daily routine. On my tour, I shared this reminiscence from Mary’s daughter Mabel about those school days:

“Every night after supper the girls begged mother to sing—and they gathered in the front parlour, while she sang to them song after song. I used to hide under the sofa in the hall, hoping no older brother or sister would find me and take me off to bed, but instead, that I might listen and cry to my heart's content, it was so beautiful. The two songs I remember the most distinctly were ‘The Lark,’ which had a beautiful running accompaniment, and ‘Gentle Dove Within My Chamber.’ She played her own accompaniments. I have only to shut my eyes and the true, sweet voice comes back to me."

Could I have found the same information if I’d searched for the words “singing” or “music” in the text of the biography? Probably. But asking NotebookLM helped me figure out what I was looking for in just seconds. It’s a powerful research tool for sure because it’s like having a research assistant who can read everything, all at once, and very fast. All you have to do is ask, “what do we know about…?”

Smith was an early resident of Amherst. He fought in the French and Indian War, and in the years following that conflict, he established a trading route between Amherst and Boston. According to The History of the Town of Amherst, Massachusetts, Smith carried grain, meat, produce, and potash to Boston and would return with “generous quantities of New England rum” among other supplies. In April 1775, Smith was part of the Amherst military company that responded to the Lexington Alarm, which marked the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Smith died nearly two years later, on March 23, 1777, “in the 42nd year of his age” according to his headstone. I’ve checked several sources but haven’t been able to find his cause of death or whether it was war related. I do know the Revolutionary War was far from over at the time that he passed. The Treaty of Paris, which ended the war, was signed in September of 1783, and George Washington wouldn’t become the first US president until 1789.

Lieutenant Smith’s grave is rich with symbolic details like the soul effigy wearing an elaborate crown as well as the heart with a chain through it. His epitaph, which is drawn from Edward Young’s Night Thoughts, speaks to how his family and fellow citizens of Amherst must have suffered from his passing:

“Death loves a shining Mark, a signal Blow
A Blow, which while it executes, alarms,
And startles Thousands with a single Fall.”

One thing I love about traveling is finding cool and unusual local monuments like this one I came across on a stroll through town after dinner.

The fountain was a gift to the town of Center Harbor from Herbert Dumaresq, a Boston businessman who owned a nearby summer home known as the Kona Estate. The fountain, referred to as the Kona Fountain, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

There were a couple of things I found unusual about it. One is the central feature of the fountain, which was described as “an Indian boy sitting on a boulder inscribed ‘KONA’ and struggling with a goose” in the application for historic status. The fountain was erected in 1907, and even with that information, I’m not sure how to begin to unpack this imagery.

The other thing I found unusual about the fountain was an inscription on one side proclaiming that it was “for dumb animals.” I took a picture of Maggie underneath it even though she’s a very smart lady.

Researching the term “dumb animals” led me to the history of the Massachusetts Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which had a monthly publication that ran for over one hundred years called Our Dumb Animals. Dumb in this case refers to animals’ inability to speak. The motto published on the masthead of the publication was “we speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.”

The founder of the Massachusetts Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was George Thorndike Angell, a Boston lawyer, who started the organization and began publishing Our Dumb Animals in 1868. Angell dedicated his life to the cause of animal welfare and rests now at Mt. Auburn Cemetery. I was surprised to find when I searched my photos for his name that I did see his grave on my most recent trip to Mt. Auburn. I wasn’t aware of his philanthropy at the time, but I must have been attracted to the saying at the top of his monument, “blessed are the merciful.”

The bottom of Angell’s grave includes this stirring quote attributed to him:

“We must never forget
That the infinitely most important work for us
Is the humane education of millions who are soon
To come to the stage of action.” -G.T.A.